peanuttiest

Hi folks. Long time HPPDer here. I'm considering botox for my wrinkles! I'm wondering if anyone with HPPD has done this, and how it affected you? What a vanity question!

Thank you for these replies folks! Im so happy for those of you whom second hand pot doesn't affect....MadDoc that's fabulous! that's awesome! Thank you for the info regarding cold medications. And the long term perspective to Martainnn...I imagine it's the weed that caused your relapse. Stress wouldn't cause a relapse in visuals, but may affect DP and mental health in general. The balance issues are tipping me off to weed too. I imagine they will clear up with time. Certainly, it will get better with time even if it doesn't completely dissipate. DP and DR also very likely will improve...most people seem to find that the mental health stuff improves or disappears completely and visuals are what tend to remain semi-permanently or permanently. when I had those second-hand pot relapses, what helped me was a lot of exercise, tlc, and don't forget you can try clonazepam or levitetacetam to help. Yes you will become dependent but that's okay - keep the dose small (1 mg a day or less of clonazepam) and weaning off one day won't be too bad. I had to wean off before getting pregnant and it wasn't fun but it was completely manageable. best wishes.

Hi folks - my heart goes out to all of you. I have had this for nearly two years now, and I have improved loads (my vision, not so much...aspects are better for sure, but it's still there). My mental health is generally good. I maintain a successful career and happy marriage. Life is good except for hppd I live a psychoactive drug free life - actually I don't take any drugs as I'm too nervous. I recently birthed my baby with no drugs and didn't even take a Tylenol after. I have experienced major flare-ups (hppd became much worse with added symptoms that have never dissipated) due to second-hand marijuana twice....not even marijuana that was particularly close to me (ie, I wasn't even standing next to someone smoking). The first time I was at a party and the smell of campfire disguised the weed smell. The second time I accidentally walked past a marijuana cafe where people were smoking on the patio (I didn't know this was a thing! I thought they had to smoke inside). In any case, I've learned that I can't attend events where there will be marijuana outside, and I am vigilant while I walk down the street. I hate living this way, but it is what it is. I'm wondering if anyone has experienced this? Or can you attend parties and just be a normal person? Are you able to take drugs such as tylernol, Advil, etc? Coffee? Coke and pepsi?? I haven't dared to try them. this is by far the worst part of it for me. I can deal with visuals and perceptual oddities (except the disequilibrium is a challenge!), but having to restrict my activities is a real bummer. best wishes to you all!

Hi folks - I'm looking for some help - please let me know your experiences and whether you have any advice. I have had HPPD for a year now. I felt it was starting to get better with clonazepam and a substance-free lifestyle and exercise (not necessarily the vision, but the eye strain/pain) back in November but then I attended a birthday party where second-hand pot smoke came through the window and from the porch and I got much worse. I improved after a month, only left with the additional symptom of trailing that still persists. I was just exposed to second-hand marijuana again three weeks ago. Again, I am much worse and the new symptom is disequilibrium - my head/body feels like I'm rocking on a boat, and I see the room moving (don't worry - I have more than learned my lesson and will make every effort to stay away from weed). My vision when I walk is also like "shaky cam". I am finding the disequilibrium quite awful - I'm wondering who has experienced this and whether it went away? If so, how long did it take? I have found a syndrome - mal de debarquement (disembarkment syndrome) that is strikingly similar to HPPD but rather than visual it is kinesthetic - but often accompanied by a depersonalization of sorts, brain fog, and tinnitus. Some people have contracted it from Ayahuasca, others from cruise ships (it's thought that the occular-vestibular reflex gets reset to the motion of the boat). Researchers have found that it correlates with hyperexcitability of parts of the brain (as does HPPD). Fascinating stuff! Luckily, there are a couple of potential treatments but it looks like I would have to travel and pay a lot of money. I guess I'm wondering how long to wait this out until trying something. I would very much appreciate hearing others' experiences.

Trip Into Hell - yours has faded, yes? How long did it take? GMan - how has this symptom been over time for you?

What kind of pills are you taking to make you feel better?

Hello - I recently acquired this disequilibrium symptom after being exposed (for about a second) to second-hand marijuana smoke outdoors. I tried the "nose blinder" approach and it is working! Thank you Visual! I am so, so hoping that this symptom fades with time. i can't imagine feeling this kind of vertigo for the rest of my life. Has it improved for anyone else?

I don't think it would be a problem if your door is closed. I have been affected since early December when at my husband's birthday party, folks were smoking weed OUTSIDE - I was not with them. I was not anywhere near them. But I could smell it from inside the house - I thought I was being paranoid. i have had trails ever since that night, and other parts of HPPD got worse too - that's three months ago. Second hand weed smoke is something to be careful of for sure - I would talk to your neighbour or switch dorms if it were me.

I have palinopsia - both negative and positive after images.

Thanks folks! Does it matter whether you have, say, one glass of wine or get completed wasted? I'm hoping to have a glass of wine at some point. However, breathing in second hand pot skyrocketed my symptoms and even gave me a new one (tracers).

Hi folks - I'm wondering if alcohol affects your symptoms? I haven't dared to have a drink. I know there is a thread on this but it's quite old. I'm hoping to elicit some other experiences.

It does seem to usually start within a week, but I have certainly heard of folks experiencing delayed onset...especially if marijuana is involved (even second hand). Could that be the case for you?

Hi there Lance - yeah, I think we can all relate :-) You are three weeks sober?? Congratulations!! That's fantastic. It's true that nobody knows how this will progress for you, or for any of us. However, the only way to ensure recovery is to remain completely sober. That would be my recommendation - and you know that now. I think you've probably got months ahead of you, but it is possible. There was a study on HPPD progression in 1986 - over 100 folks. By the 2 year mark, many had recovered. Half had recovered at the five year mark. For the remainder, recovery was still possible but much slower. Most people learn to live with symptoms and are pretty happy. My personal experience is that exercise works wonders for mental health as well as visuals - particularly eye strain and dizziness - but a lot of it.

You have to stop smoking weed if you want this to lessen - that's a huge trigger. Even being at a party where people are smoking weed can trigger some people.

Hi folks - I'm so late replying here but for other folks reading this I do want to let them know that second hand pot can be (for some of us, and unfortunately you don't know if you don't try) a major trigger. I was on the road to recovery and recently attended a birthday party where (unbeknownst to me) people were smoking on a closed-in porch and kept opening the door to the house. Bonfire smoke covered the smell so I couldn't tell until it was too late. I have developed a massive flare up, with new symptoms that are worse than the original HPPD, as a result. The symptoms started at the party! And then continued to develop over the course of a week. I never had trails before and now I do. I was not particularly stressed or anticipating this - and I think I've handled it pretty well, although of course it's scary. It really can be weed for many folks. Dr Abraham advised people to run if they smell weed.

Hi there - has anyone been pregnant and had a baby while having HPPD?

Hi folks - I'm wondering what people's experiences have been withdrawing from klonopin? I'm currently on .125 morning and .25 pm and hoping to cut again soon.

Thank you!

KeepFighting - many have said alcohol makes them worse - it seems to be an individual basis kind of thing. Why not try cutting it out for a while and see what happens? Especially while your brain is particularly sensitive right now. I never thought I could cut out alcohol but I have had to - my vision means more to me. Non-alcoholic beer is surprisingly good! Non-alcoholic wine, on the other hand...not so much. Trip Into Hell - THANK YOU for your words of encouragement...I need them badly right now as I can hardly look at lights - the photosensitivity went through the roof today. I'm hoping it calms down in a couple of weeks - to think I was so much better a few days ago and now in many ways (but not all!) it's back to square 1 with the vision (not with the mood!). Have you received help with panic disorder from a specialist? You hang in there too! If you can rid yourself of the visuals of HPPD, you can certainly tackle the mental health component!

Thanks Granite!! I totally agree - no more parties with any chance of anyone smoking marijuana! I definitely do not put psychoactive substance in my body any longer. I'm amazed that such a small amount of second-hand smoke (I wasn't near it!) could do this. I would be so curious to hear about your recovery process!!

I hear you - it really sucks. I'm so happy for you that your HPPD is gone!!! That's amazing! Panic disorder is awful - but also treatable. I am so aware that the party is over for the rest of my life - I can deal with that. I just thought I could attend and be sober - but turns out there is too much risk of second-hand pot smoke. I'm wondering if this setback will pass, and if anyone else has had a similar experience?

Hi folks - I have had HPPD for 5 months now. It's started to get better in some ways - this past week I noticed a big improvement. It was my husband's birthday and he threw a huge party and I attended. I was worried about second-hand marijuana smoke - although nobody was allowed to smoke in the house and I did not go outside with the smokers. Of course I did not consume alcohol or other drugs. However, I could smell it at various points throughout the night. The door kept opening and wafts of smoke came in, and apparently some folks hotboxed the porch - today (two days later) I have more intense visual snow, after-images, and closed eye visuals again!! Those had disappeared after the first month. It's so disappointing. I'm sure it must be due to this - there is no other explanation. I wanted to tell folks that even distal marijuana exposure can worsen symptoms. I'm also wanting to know whether anyone has had this experience and whether the symptoms have backed down to normal afterward. Needless to say, no more parties where there is marijuana for me :-( Peanuttiest

Good luck :-)

Well, I never went on Zoloft. My depression has improved but not remitted. Quaiphyx, did you see any improvement in your symptoms?

If I were you, I would go to emerg and get checked for glaucoma. Eye pressure is a potential symptoms - however, of course I have no idea what you have but it's important to get it checked. My apologies for missing this earlier.